Origin Review

Origin is a 2021 short film written and directed by Alexandr Borecky

What happens to friendship as we grow older? Life drifts us apart even as we try so hard to stay connected. The heart of Origin explores this in subtle yet topical ways that anyone in their mid to late 20s will instantly be able to relate to.

The only scene that to me felt like it went on a bit too long was the dancing at the club section of the short. Other than that, though I really enjoyed my viewing. Outside of that I have two points at the end from the director of the film I’d like to highlight.

This is a very clean film, the cinematography by Jesica Radlovacki is neon drenched yet naturalistic. The sound mixing is done to great effect, and the soundtrack throughout the film fits every scene well.

The dynamic between Jerry, Andy, and Leo feels relatable while also staying honest. The performances from Lukas Labuda, Jiri Skrivanek, and Alexandr Borecky are all solid. Nothing felt forced and the conversations all felt natural. I could personally relate to an exchange revolving around Tinder, I know I’ve had those conversations with friends in the past.

I felt as though ultimately the film was about knowing when to let go, when to walk away from old friends. We don’t do this out of malice but merely out of going down our own path. Our interests just don’t line up anymore, or we just feel like we need to focus on something different. For whatever reason this happens in life and that is ok. In this Origin delivers a very heartfelt story, one that again has a strong pulse on modern dynamics of the world.

From the director: “Neither Jiří or Lukáš have any actor training or experience. I myself have done some extra work, but never starred as a main character.” I found this to be really interesting as the three of them have such a natural on screen presence.

Even if 40 years from now when many of these modern talking points change this will still be a film that can maintain a timeless sort of quality to it. There is always an instant nostalgia with looking back on old friendships, and a sort of quiet sadness to what it means to let those things go. For maintaining that kind of a story balance, I must give much credit to Borecky and his team. I am excited to see more work from them and hope they continue creating great films.

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Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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